Improvement in motive-power for sewing and other machines



intrd tant JAMES n. Arnnor ELIZABETH, NEW-JERSEY.

Letters Patent No.v 95,969, dated September 21, 1869; anteclaterlScptember 10,1869.

IMPROVlEllVIEIlTlZl IN MOTIVE-POWER BOR SEWING AND OTHER MACHINES.

The ScLecule referred to in these -Itters Patent and making part `pf thesame.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J nMns B. AYER, of the ltown of Elizabeth, in thecounty of Union, and State of New Jersey, have invented a newandimproved Noiseless DriVingPower for Sewing-Machines; and I doherebydeclarethe following to be a full and correct description ofthesame, suiiicient to enable others skilled in theI art to which myinvention appertains, to fully understand andconstruct the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which make a part yofthis specification, and in which-- Figure 1 is a front elevation of asewing-machine frame with my improvement attached.

Figure 2 is an end View ofthe same, one '-end piece ofthe frame beingremoved.

Figure 3 isa sectionaldetached view of part of the same, toshow'a partofmydnvention, vhereinafter more fully described., f

Like letters of reference indicate like partsin the several figures. 1The nature of my invention consists in applying to sewing-machines anoiseless driving-power, derived from a coiled spring enclosed in a caseor chamber,

which, when wound up, by its reaction will impart motion to the shaft,on which one endis secured, which motion is, by means of a ratchet andpawl, also imparted to a wheel playing loosely on the same shaft, andfrom it transmitted by friction through a 4series of smaller and largerwheels, to the wheel immediately connecting with the machinery holdingand working the needle and thread, in such a manner that the speed ofrevolution of this last wheel shall be very much greater than that ofthe first-mentioned wheel, the rim or face of each Wheel bearing upon orpressing against another wheel to be covered with India rubber, or suchother substance as may be preferable, to produce the required friction,and to render the motion as noiseless as possible.

A A', in the drawings, represent the end pieces, and B,'thc top oftheframe of a sewing-machine.

In proper bearings, a af, in the end pieces A A', and at a .suitabledistance from the top plate B, plays loosely a shaft, C, one end ofwhichis provided, outside of piece A', with small haud-wheel I).

To this shaft (l is attached one end of a coiled spring, E, the otherend of which is secured to a shaft or rod, F, rigidly secured in thepieces A A. p

The spring E is situated in a chamber formed by two circular plates, e,attachedto' the shaft C, and provided with a very narrow sleeve, d,carrying a ratchetwheel, f.

rllhis ratchet-wheel f gears with a pawl, g, on a wheel, G, playingloosely on shaft O, in such a manner, that when the shaft O is turned bymeans of hand-wheel l), so as to wind up spring E, thepawl g willslipover the ratchet f, not-engaging with its teeth,

but when the spring, in its reaction, -tnrns shaft C, and with itthe'ratchet f, the pawl g will engage with.

,theteetth of the ratchet, and thus the wheel G will be forced to movewith theratchet j'. t

The wheel G, by friction, transmit-s its motion to a smaller wheel, h,attached to or formed on a larger wheel,'H, playing loosely on shaft O.The speed of wheel H of course becomes greater than that of wheel G, byreason of the intermittent smallerwheel h.

Wheel H transmits its motion to a similar set of wheels, t' I, playingloosely on shaft P, and wheel I again its motion to a set of wheels, jJ, playing loosely on shaft O, the wheel J immediately connecting withthe machinery holding and working theneedle and thread, by means of abelt, Z, and small belt-wheel, fm., ahoyethe table or top B, or anyother` suitable means.

'lhe shafts O and Pare rigidly secliri'in 'pieces' A A', at suitabledistance from shaft C.

On the side of wheelJ is formed a sleeve, K, which carries a wheel, L.

Directly over this wheel L, a rod, n, passes through the top B,provided, 'at its lower end, witha bent piece, o, which tits exactlyover, and when rod a is pressed or screwed down, seizes on wheel L, andby friction stops its motion.

The rod n, at its v upper end, may be provided with a suitable head, p,and may be provided with a screwthread, so as to screw up orv down, orwith a spring, holding it away from' wheel L.

4 Neither ofthe devices, however, is essential, as the brake n willoperate with or without either.

The wheels G, h, H, i, I, and j, have their rims covd ered with Indiarubber, or 'any other suitable material which will produce sufficientfriction tc keep the wheels in proper motion, and at the samey time makethedno tion entirely noiseless, or as nearly so as is possible andpractical.

l/Vhen the spring is ncarl y run down, which will soon be observed bythe retarding of the speed, it can be vwound up by means of thehand-wheel D, the brake n being at the same 4time applied to wheel L,which stops, by means of-thc friction, all the wheels loose. on theirshafts, and consequently alsopwheel G, while the shaft C is turninground in winding up spring E. When the latter is wound up, the brake isreleased, and the motion is transmitted as before.

' Should'the operator at any time desire to stop thc motion for a shorttime, this will be accomplished by putting down the braken over onto thewheel L, which, by friction, will stop all the wheels, and, through pawly and ratchet-wheel j, also the plates e and. shaft C. On releasing thebrake the power of tlie spling is again exerted, and the motioncontinued.`

The bearings a,-in which the shaft G plays, are

of a vertically-oblong fo'rin, as shown in figs. 2 and 3. By means ofthis form of bearings the friction of the wheels is regulated, for werethe bearings of just suf'- leient size to allow the shaft G to passthrough, and round, the friction of the diierent wheels might be toogreat to be overcome by the power ofthe spring; but the oblong bearingsallow the shaft G to give just sufeiently in a vertical line to allowthe friction to adjust itself in regard or relation to the power of thespring, thus preventingany undue friction to overcome the power of thespring, while the latter will not be able to sneiently overcome thefriction to disturb the smooth and even running of the friction-Wheels.

Having thus deseribed my invention,

What I claim as new, and desi to secure by Let.- ters Patent, is

l. The noise'iessrpower for driving sewing-maehines, consisting of thecombination, with the spring E, of a' series of large and smallfriction-Wheels with straight peri-plieries, arranged above and beloweach other on shafts C O I?, to operate lsubstantially and for thepurpose set forth. A

2. In a sewing-maehine, foi the purpose of trans mitting andaccelerating motion, one ormore series oi' large and smallfriction-wheels h H t I, with stra-ight perlpheries, which are coveredwith India rubber, or its equivalent, and arranged to operatesubstantially as herein described.

3. The vertically-oblong bearings a u! of the shaft G,in the pieces AA', substantially as and for the pnrposes set forth.

JAMES B. AYER.'

Witnesses .JOHN NEEL,

J. WILLIAMS CRANE.

